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Page 510
to give them orders, or at least send a messenger to explain her delay. An hour before dinner the word went out to the men to make ready. They would move to Clyro Hill after they had fed. One party, under Sir Walter, would wait at Clifford to explain if Lady Alinor came there. Then she would be free to join them at Clyro, send orders as to what she wanted done, or recall them to Clifford. Meanwhile, the bulk of the men, plus Salisbury's own household retainers, would lie in hiding to discover what they could and be ready to attack.

Due west of Clifford, in the woods a little south of Painscastle, the Welsh force was taking a much-needed rest and a hasty meal while Lord Llewelyn's scouts tried to determine whether they could safely take the track that ran past Painscastle to Clyro. They could move much more swiftly over that than through the woods, but Llewelyn and Ian's vassals were uneasy and suspicious. It seemed impossible to them that they had traveled diagonally almost across Powys and had not been challenged once. Of course, they had carefully skirted each stronghold, but it was not their secrecy of movement that had kept them safe. Scouts had ranged outward cautiously and had reported many keeps closed and silent, as if braced against attack while they were denuded of defenders.
The only answer to that puzzle was that Lord Gwenwynwyn had summoned his men. If so, an army lay in wait for them. The question waswhere? One said that Painscastle was the obvious place. They would be allowed to pass, and then attacked from the rear. Another suggested that the force might be split in two. They would, indeed, be attacked from the rear at Pains-castle, but the purpose would be to drive them forward into the arms of the waiting party, which would cut them to pieces while they were disordered with trying to run or to reverse themselves and fight.

 
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